


Steampunk Supernatural Hunter Guide

by steftheastro91



Category: Supernatural
Genre: Amazons - Freeform, Angels, Arachne - Freeform, Black Dog, Changelings, Deities, Demons, Djinns, Dragons, Fairies, Familiars, Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse - Freeform, Gen, Ghosts, Ghouls, Golems, Heaven, Hell, Hunters, Kitsunes, Leviathans, Monsters, Okami - Freeform, Original Female Character(s) - Freeform, Original Male Character(s) - Freeform, Phoenix - Freeform, Purgatory, Rakshasa, Rugaru, Shapeshifters - Freeform, Shojo - Freeform, Skinwalkers - Freeform, Steampunk, The Veil, Tricksters, Tulpas, Vampires, Wendigos, Werewolves, Witches, banshee - Freeform, crocottas, information guide, little description of blood, pishtaco, vetalas, wraiths
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-14
Updated: 2015-12-23
Packaged: 2018-05-06 18:05:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 39
Words: 19,018
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5426591
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/steftheastro91/pseuds/steftheastro91
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is just a Supernatural hunter guide I've written for my sister for Christmas this year for a possible character she could create for steampunk festivals she goes to.</p><p>Steampunk is a genre of science fiction and fantasy that incorporates technology and aesthetic designs inspired by 19th-century industrial steam-powered machinery.  It's amazing seeing all of these steampunks come together and their amazing, imaginative costumes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Introduction

Just when my life as a hunter couldn't get any more complicated, I have been forced back in time by an angel so to ensure that my family's legacy as hunters begins with you, my dear.  Now I'm trapped in Victorian London, hiding from those that believe me to be some kind of madwoman.

 

My name is Rebecca Wesson and I was born in 1991, raised by my mother and father to hunt monsters and I am writing this guide to pass on the knowledge I have learnt from them and from others.  Granted, you may think I'm mad as well but I assure you, I speak the truth; Queen Victoria will be on the throne until 1901, she will lose her husband in 1861, she will continue to mourn him until her death.  On a happier note, her children and further descendants will continue to rule the United Kingdom and other European countries for years to come and her great-granddaughter will eventually overtake Victoria as the longest reigning monarch of the United Kingdom.

 

It seems strange to be passing on this knowledge to those that came before me but in this line of work, anything is possible and anything can help.

 

From what I remember my parents telling me, our family began hunting when they found out that their loved ones were killed by vampire from an old acquaintance, though I only remember it was around this time and no one has been able to give me a proper name.  With their help, our family became great hunters with a legacy that is even spoken about in the States.

 

I'm sorry if this is how you find out the truth but you need to know that there are things out there that go bump in the night; vampire, werewolves, ghosts, and demons to name a few.  While I only have a short amount of time in this era, I have written down everything I know, including some sigils and spells I have learnt over the years.

 

Sorry again if this is a shock but you need to know this stuff as it could save your life over the years to come.

 

On a more practical note, in the box that this book is sat in is a number of items that could help you out with hunts and such.  Though some of these items may seem absurd, they will help greatly.  I'll include a note about them all later.

 

Yours sincerely

Rebecca Wesson


	2. Item List

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> With this guide comes a box full of hunter gear I've made as well for her Christmas present. This is what this chapter is basically about

I'll start with one of the less intimidating items, the necklace that looks like this, you need to put it on immediately.  It's an anti-possession charm so to prevent demons, yes DEMONS, possessing your body as they are unable to walk on Earth any other way.

 

I would recommend getting a tattoo with this design in the future as a charm can be ripped off before you know what's hit you and they can just jump into your meat suit without your knowledge.  I've included the design in the back of the notebook for you so you know what to get, I don't know if they do tattoos in your time, when you permanently mark your skin with a design using a needle and ink, but please try, demons may not be common in your time but just in case, especially if you start hunting.  If you're a woman, I know it's considered scandalous but it's necessary to keep you safe.

 

As you will find out later on in this book, salt is a necessary part of hunting so I've included this small amount of salt in the box so to remind you to keep some on you at all times, you never know when you'll need it.  Loads salt into shotgun shells and it can be a great tool against demons and ghosts and even possessed humans - it doesn't kill them, just stuns them.

 

As well as salt, you will need holy water for hunting demons as it stuns them long enough for you to either kill them or capture them so you can exorcise them.  Having a flask of it on a hunt always helps so I've included a hip flask in the box along with a leather harness that you can wear it on as you can keep some holy water on hand.  Either that, you can just carry some gin or whiskey around if it suits.

 

While you can get holy water from a church as long as the priest etc. doesn't mind, I recommend making your own which is simple to do with some invocations, salt, and a rosary/cross; I'm going to write the imvocations later on in this notebook for you and there is a rosary in the box to having to search for one, it's one my parents gave me so let's keep it in the family.

 

Years ago, I met a pair of hunters, two brothers, who had a knife that can kill demons. While they initially thought that it was one of a kind, having acquired it from a demon they thought was an ally, I was able to experiment with another knife, etching symbols into it, until I was able to replicate the demon killing knife.  Now I'm leaving one for you, a duplicate of my original experiment so that I know you will be safe in the end and our family line can continue.  Keep this in the family as many hunters will try to take it from you.

 

While the demon killing knife is iron, most monsters are vulnerable to silver in some way and it's a good indicator for you to find out who is a monster and who isn't.  So to help with those hunts, I've also placed a silver knife in the box to help.  It's a simple thing but really helpful.  Further into this notebook, I will tell you which monsters are vulnerable to silver so don't worry.

 

Folklore is rife with stories of hellhounds and while it seems absurd, they exist, working for demons to collect souls and such, and are invisible to the human unless under certain circumstances but in my time, we have been able to find a way to see them.  The brothers I mentioned earlier discovered it when they were on a mission to close the gates of Hell permanently and have passed on the information to all hunters; using something that you can see through - glasses basically - that have been scorched with Holy Fire.  While I have little Holy Oil so I can't share with you, I have been able to make some hellhound hunting glasses for you, hopefully you won't need them but they could help in the future, especially when it comes to demon deals and debt-collecting.

 

Normally associated with witches and curses, hex bags can actually help keep you hidden from all manner of creatures, especially most demons and angels.  They are dark magic so I wouldn't recommend making them but you can use these ones that I have put in the box as they are purposely made to hide you from demons and angels, not to hurt you.

 

The last item in this box is a set of keys; before we moved to the States, we lived what could be described as a bomb shelter, knowing my family it was.  Turns out it is the same place I am currently hiding in now; the angel that brought me to this time handed over some keys to me and said I'd know what to do with them.  When I realised I was in the area of my old home, I went out to reminisce and found that the keys the angel gave me fit the original lock to the shelter door.  So at this precise moment, I am in this cold shelter, writing you this guide but I am leaving you the keys so you can get into it when I've gone because I am going home, even if I have to make a deal with a demon.

 

All of the items I am sending you are spares that I have brought with me or acquired while being in your time so there is no need to fret, if you are starting to, I am perfectly safe and will be once I am back in my own time.  These are just to start your hunting gear off and I highly recommend that you continue to expand, such as getting a gun of some sort, handgun/shotgun/rifle; mine were all left in my time in my motel room before I had the chance to grab them or I would have given you one.  If I had, I would have needed a bigger box.

 

In the rest of this notebook is a more detailed guide on the monsters I have come up against as well as ones you could come across or hunter generations could.  Luckily I was able to bring this all from my time with me and even had some spare copies of sigils and wards that I got from other hunters so I've just stuck them in.  Plus, I'm rubbish at drawing, I can do the basic sigils but the detailed key of Solomon is far too complicated for me.


	3. Things I May Mention

Throughout these "notes", I may mention some random places so rather than just assuming you'll know what I mean, I thought I'd better explain before I get too in depth as it will make it simpler in the long run.

 

The Veil

The Veil is a plane of existence attached to our own which only certain things can see and inhabit; ghosts, demons, hellhounds, and reapers.  Humans are only able to see through the Veil if they have made a deal with a Crossroads Demon - talk about that later - and are approaching the end of their deal.

 

Purgatory

When monsters die, they don't become ghosts or go to Heaven or Hell; they are sent to Purgatory.  It was originally a supernatural dimension created by God to contain his first and most dangerous creations, the Leviathans, but now holds the souls of monsters.  In Purgatory, it is survival of the fittest as it is described as a place where one either kills or be killed; inhabitants revert to basic animal instincts it seems, pure Darwinism.

 

Heaven

Heaven is real, I've been there which means, yes, I've died; some asses shot me because they killed my friend and didn't want an angry Wesson on their hands if they left me alive.  Fortunately I was brought back but I can tell you about that later.

Heaven is an ethereal realm created by God, intended to be the home-realm for himself and his angels.  It also serves as a final resting place of worthy human souls.  Each soul gets their own personal Heaven; if you have a soulmate, your Heavens become one in the same, allowing you to continue to be together for eternity.

 

Hell

Hell.  A word that most people fear for good reason.  God created Hell as a prison for Lucifer for twisting the first human soul into a demon.  From that moment on, those who were wicked were sent to Hell where they are continuously tortured until they are stripped of their remaining humanity, becoming demons.  Even demons fear Hell as lower level demons are tortured by those higher up the food chain.


	4. Monsters: Shapeshifters

My first proper hunt without my parents taking the lead was a shapeshifter, a creature that can just change into anyone they want - one stole my friend's identity once which lead him to become a wanted murderer.  They literally shed their skin, hair (any part really of their outwardly appearance) to grow new everything.  It's disgusting but it also makes it easy to track them as they sked - piles of slime are hard to hide when you're in pain and concentrating on your transformations.  As well as changing forms, shapeshifters have superhuman speed, agility, and strength so you have to be careful.  Many shifters seem to suffer from identity issues from years of shifting causing mental deterioration but it may not be obvious at first.

 

The shifter I was following was kidnapping its victims and integrating themselves into their lives for weeks at a time then killed their loved ones and stole their savings before moving on which in turn frames the shifter's original victim who is never found until they turn up dead in the woods.  This happened three times before I was able to track the shapeshifter down in the sewers that connected the houses where they were holding their fourth victim, a young woman.  I got the woman free just as the shifter got back to their lair.  When hunting a shifter, you need to make sure you have the element of surprise along with a silver knife or some kind of weapon you know that will kill it; that was the only way I was able to kill the shapeshifter with a silver knife to the heart and save the fourth victim and any other future victims.

 

They are vulnerable to silver, as I have mentioned, and it helps to identify them but you have to make sure to strike the heart with the silver if you're choosing that kind of weapon, we've used bullets and knives in the past.  As with most creatures, decapitation is another killer but that means being up close and personal with it.  It seems to be a supernatural phenomenon but dogs seem to be able to identify shifters as I witnessed this lovely dog go from friendly to vicious in seconds; even if the shapeshifter isn't around, the smell lingers which can cause the dog to go berserk and helps aid the investigation.

 

While this seems easy, it took a lot of combat training to even get a chance at taking this creature down as they are super strong; I've been choked a couple of times by a shifter while I was acting as a diversion and both times, they acted like I was nothing but a cushion they were picking up from the floor.  It may be basic information but knowing how to fight and use a weapon is crucial for most hunts so train so you don't get killed before your time.


	5. Monsters: Ghosts

I've gone on a lot of hunts since that shapeshifter on my own or in a group but one of the most common ones I have been on are to do with ghosts.  Ghosts, if they don't come to rest in some form, become stuck in the Veil.  The longer a ghost is "trapped" in the Veil, the stronger and more unstable they get, making them more violent than before and making them seem like wild animals, losing themselves.  As someone once told me, ghosts are like wounded animals; they become so angry and upset that all they can do is lash out at anyone who crosses their path; that is why it is important to put them to rest.  Over the years, I've come across many different kinds as they all stick around for different reasons but it is quite common to come up against vengeful and violent spirits.

 

While violent and vengeful spirits seem the same, there are some differences.  Violent spirits are usually the ghosts of evil or cruel people who in their lives brought pain and suffering to others and continue to do so in death while vengeful spirits tend to stick around because something is wrong with the way they died so their sprits sticks around seeking retribution; some go after those that wronged them, some just lash out at anyone.

 

Most of the time, the only way to stop a vengeful or violent ghost is to salt and burn their remains as this can release their bond to our plane and the Veil.  If there's no body, there can be something else such as an item that was personal to them that their spirit is attached on to, a ring or even a hip flask (anything that can have part of them on like salvia or skin); these items then need to be burned too, no matter if they've got sentimental value attached to them, this saves lives, trust me.

 

If you're trying to fend off a ghost, iron and salt also deter ghosts for a few minutes; this can allow you the opportunity to salt and burn the remains.  Either carry something made of iron on you and use it to swing through the ghost or shoot them with rock salt shells in a shot gun as I've said before.  If you want to protect someone then place them in a rock salt or iron circle; ghosts cannot cross these lines.  Unfortunately some ghosts can move items like salt if it's in a circle so it's not 100% effective so I'd recommend stopping them ASAP.

 

Some ghosts can become stronger as they can learn how to move objects in our plane and eventually possess people; if possessed by a ghost, there tends to be ectoplasm coming out of a person's nose and while a little dangerous, if you are attacked by said possessed person, shotgun shell of rock salt can get the spirit out and knocks your attacker on their ass momentarily, long enough for you to stop the ghost.  I've been attacked once by my hunting partner while they have been possessed by a violent spirit so I know from experience the reluctance to hurt a friend but shooting them can save their lives before they do something they regret; it may hurt but works like a treat.

 

Similar to vengeful and violent ghosts, poltergeists are a type of spirit/ghost that will do anything for attention and recognition.  Like normal ghosts, poltergeists were once human too and can be stopped the same way you would a ghost, by salting and burning their remains.  However, they have become detached from their humanity, rendering them a spirit causing trouble rather than something seeking revenge and are able to use their telekinetic powers indiscriminately, with the strength to throw a grand piano around as well as full grown men.  Unlike normal ghosts, purifying the house in which the poltergeist inhabits by placing small containers of Angelica root, Van Van oil, and crossroad dirt inside the north, south, east, and west corners of a building on each floor can at least stun a poltergeist, maybe even stop them.  They can't be saved; they just need to be stopped.

 

Though not overly common, a woman in white is the ghost of a woman who has committed suicide following the death of her children or a great betrayal on their loved one's behalf.  Due to the circumstances of their death, they become a vengeful spirit, hurting anyone who crosses their path.  They become corporeal, allowing them to adopt the role of a hitchhiker or something, to gain a person's trust and then attack.

 

There are cases where a woman in white has killed her own children before committing suicide and the only way to stop her is for the ghosts of her children to confront her; it's traumatic but necessary to stop her from hurting anyone else.  Other ways to stop them are the standard ghost busting methods; I haven't come up against a ghost yet who can't be stopped in the end.

 

Water spirits are another form of vengeful ghost but obviously they attack in the water.  The spirit is someone who has drowned and their body was left in the water, making them difficult to stop.  The last water spirit case I was involved in occurred because some older children were bullying this smaller kid and it got out of hand and he unfortunately drowned; the scared bullies then weighted his body down and dumped him back in the lake just so they could hide the horrible thing they did and never spoke of it again.  Over the years, they tried to forget what they did but family members started to have mysterious accidents to do with water, even inside the home while washing dishes.  The only way to stop the spirit was for the now older former bullies who killed this poor boy to admit what they did and pay for their crime; fortunately being arrested for the crime stopped the spirit but I have known cases to take a darker turn with the spirit's murderer sacrificing themselves and drowning like his victim.  Be prepared and know that you can’t save everyone in the end.

 

Spectres are a type of ghost that possesses someone holding a grudge whether it is small or not or regardless of how long ago it was.  They are created when a person dies feeling greatly betrayed by the person who causes their death.  Normally, a spectre is awakened when their grave is desecrated and an item is stolen from the grave; whoever holds the item, if they have any intense feelings of suppressed anger, betrayal or any other similar emotion, the spectre will possess them and force them to act on their grudges.  Once it's completed the act and dropping the item normally, the anger of the host immediately subsides and the host often shows signs of short-term memory loss and can only vaguely remember what has happened during their possession.  During possession, the person knows that they are being possessed and about the spectre, even if they're not aware of the existence of spectres or things that go bump in the night, suggesting that the spectre shares knowledge with them, the person however doesn't resist it, down to the spectre's control over them.  However, the spectre is powerless over anyone who doesn't hold any sense of betrayal as there's nothing to fuel them.  Spectres are often identified by the green ectoplasm rather than black when possessing someone.

 

Much like how a spectre is born from a sense of betrayal, buruburu are born from fear so it in turn strikes fear into its victims, also known as ghost sickness.  Using fear on their victims, the cause of death tends to be a heart attack as it causes severe stress on each victim.  However, the victim can help point out clues to how to stop the buruburu as they start to show similar signs to how the buruburu originally died, almost as if the victim is haunted.  As it is a type of ghost, it has the same strengths and weaknesses as other ghosts, but it also has another weakness, it can be scared to rest in a similar way to how they died originally, if the normal salt and burn tactic doesn't work.

 

One of the rarest ghosts you may come across over the course of your hunting career is a revenant; they are almost completely different from other ghost types as they have no awareness that they are in fact ghosts, completely unaware that they are dead, supressing or even just forgetting the memories of their deaths.  Unlike the usual ghosts which often appear in short, violent bursts, revenants maintain their presence once they manifest and are completely corporeal, giving them the appearance of being human, meaning they can touch, bleed, and feel pain just like humans.  They are also to hold conversations and can be reasoned with unlike other ghosts who become governed by anger normally as I've already said.  Generally, revenants don't have remains that bind them to our plane; it tends to be their unfinished business that keeps them tethered and unable to move on so helping them solve their unfinished business, what it is, can help put them to rest and save others as well in the long run as they can still become erratic like "normal" ghosts if they've been stuck in our plane for too long.

 

A generally harmless type of ghost is a death echo as they are trapped ghosts, constantly re-enacting their deaths over and over again in a loop; normally a by-product of murder, a death echo is considered one of the more pitiful spirits as they pose very little threat.  An echo can be shocked out of their death loop by someone with whom the deceased has an emotional connection.  This can allow them to be able to move on in the end rather than the normal salting and burning.

 

Though they appear intimidating and appear, death omens aren't dangerous, much like death echoes, as they are just trying to warn people who may be murdered by the person that killed them.  They are stuck in our realm because they want to find out who killed them and stop others from being hurt in the end; much like a death echo, they don't have to be salted and burned to be put to rest, it can be simply done by resolving their murder.

 

I've been hunting all my life and these are the only type of ghosts I have come into contact with and neither has any other hunter I know but I'm sure you'll be able to build your own knowledge base from this information and your own experiences over the years.


	6. Monsters: Skinwalkers

There are a lot of weird creatures in our world and some are similar to one another in many ways such as vulnerabilities as well as strengths.  Skinwalkers are much like werewolves as they have canine-like qualities as well as other similarities.  Both shift into an animal-like creature, can be killed by silver weapons, can infect others with a single bite to which there is no cure, and they feed on human hearts.  While werewolves become a wolf-human hybrid when they shift, skinwalkers transform into a canine completely and are not restricted by the phases of the moon.

 

In animal form, skinwalkers seem to have enhanced strength and speed which do not crossover into their human form as the last skinwalker myself and my hunting partner at the time faced was unable to throw the 6 foot something guy off while in human form, something most monsters can do.  He did get the upperhand at one point unfortunately as he hit Darcy square in the jaw and knocked him down while I fired off some silver bullets, trying to take him down.  Normally, I'm a crackshot but he shifted into his animal form once Darcy was off him which allowed him to use his enhanced strength and speed against us.  Able to use his powers, he jumped me and tried to bite me but I slipped my silver knife between his ribs, into his heart, killing him instantly.

 

A silver weapon to the heart or head is the only way to take down a skinwalker in either form, silver also burns them and allows hunters to know that in either form that they are monsters in some way; anything else, they can survive as they seem to have an accelerated healing and invulnerability to anything but silver, especially in animal form.  When skinwalkers die, they will always revert to their human form so be prepared, you will have a body on your hands.


	7. Monsters: Werewolves

When most people think of monsters, they think of werewolves and vampires which they write off as a piece of fiction but you need to know they're real.

 

Much like their skinwalker cousins, they transform into canine-like creatures with a thirst for blood; what makes werewolves distinctive from most monsters is that they always eat the heart of their victims, even the ones that can't control themselves during their transformation.  Those that do have some control tend to try and throw hunters off by eating more than the heart, hiding the cause of death but 90% of the time, no heart = werewolf/skinwalker attack.

 

Like skinwalkers, werewolves have enhanced strength and speed when transformed and pass on their "curse" through a single bite; luckily, it's not scratches or I would have been infected multiple times by now.  As with most monsters, werewolves are vulnerable to silver so a silver weapon to the heart or head will take them down; due to accelerated healing, they are invulnerable to anything else and can survive pretty much anything.

 

They don't transform into great wolves, just wolf-human hybrids where they gain elongated claws and teeth as well as super speed, strength, and agility so while they are not furry, they are instantly recognisable.

 

The ones that have been able to control their "curse" fall into two groups I have found; ones that give into their impulses, killing humans and eating their hearts, while the other ones voluntarily eat animal hearts so to stop their impulses.  The latter group are the generally harmless ones as they refuse to hurt humans and want to live among them while the former mercilessly kill anyone and possibly turn others into werewolves, creating a savage killing pack.


	8. Monsters: Kitsune

Similar in appearance to werewolves when they transform, kitsunes are incredibly rare monsters that feed on the pituitary gland - without it, they will die.  While they appear human most of the time, kitsunes are able to transform parts of themselves into animal-like qualities, like a werewolf though upon demand.  They have extended claws and yellow, fox-like eyes but don't transform into an animal completely.

 

Only able to die if starved or stabbed in the heart, kitsunes are incredibly strong and fast, allowing them to overpower humans with little difficultly and catch their prey or enemies off guard.

 

Due to their rarity, I have never faced a kitsune myself but my friends have, twice over the years, and told me stories about them.  They don't choose to become kitsunes, they are born that way, forced to eat parts of the human brain to survive or they'll die; they have been known to eat the pituitary gland of the dead, which is equally disgusting but less horrific in my book.  However, if a kitsune is hurt, especially a child, they don't seem to be able to survive on this version alone, needing the freshly killed version instead.  It feels wrong to make excuses for killing but if a kitsune chooses not to hurt living human beings, maybe they are allowed to live; it's the same rule I have with any monster if they seem to have excellent self-control, which isn't many.


	9. Monsters: Vampires

Much like werewolves, vampires are very real, it's just most of the things you hear about them is wrong.  Right up until they try to kill you, they look completely normal apart from maybe the murderous look in their eyes, which is definitely normal.

 

It's a common misconception that vampires have just two elongated fangs to attack their victims; they are more like a shark with an entire set of fangs to attack with.  Unlike a shark though, their fangs retract above their original set of teeth so to conceal their true nature.

 

Stakes, garlic, and crosses won't hurt them, probably rumours they started to throw hunters off when they are attacked, giving them the advantage.  However, having learnt from a hunter who specialised in vampires, Daniel Elkins, they can be paralysed temporarily by dead man's blood, it's like poison to them.  Other than ripping their heart out, a good machete to the neck is the only way to stop them.

 

While it is true of any monster, I have to specifically say that not all vampires are bad; my life has been saved numerous times by a vampire who has been around since the 1500s.  Even in this century when she didn't know me, she saved my life, sparing me from an awful death at the hands of other vampires, I don't know how but she did; her name is Kaitlin Muircheartach, an Irish woman with a fiery personality that matches her hair.  I wouldn't be here if it weren't for her, I don't know how she's survived so long, given hunters predispositions to shoot first and ask later; it is glaringly obvious which vampires are bad because there are mysterious disappearances and/or deaths while vampires like Kaitlin have been living under the noses of hunters for years, drinking animal blood instead or even blood bags - something I know realise you might not have in this time but it's something hunters will need to know in the future - ensuring that they won't hurt humans. 


	10. Monsters: Wendigos

Now I'm getting into the weird and downright scary in my opinion.  Wendigos, a cannibalistic monster, were once humans whose name translates into "evil that devours"; after being forced to consume human flesh, they are transformed into a supernatural creature, baring very little similarities to a human.  Once changed, they crave human flesh and will hunt for it, preferring to do so at night when we are at our most vulnerable visually.  With the ability to hibernate for years at a time and survive long winters without any food, wendigos are notoriously difficult to hunt, especially combined with their enhanced strength which trumps even some of the mightier monsters I have come up against, being able to rip limps from bodies and break necks with a flick of wrist.

 

Wendigos are much taller than humans, standing at twelve feet; they have a gaunt appearance and extremely pale, sickly coloured skin.  Humanoid in appearance, they have sharp claws which rip their victims to shreds coupled with sharp teeth to cut through flesh and bone easily.  They are nearly perfect hunters because they are clever, with the ability to mimic a human's voice to lure more victims into their lair, and are nimble, able to jump from tree to tree without any obvious signs of movement, making them hard to track.

 

As they are near-perfect hunters, wendigos are difficult to kill but it is possible.  Fire is a definite way to stop a wendigo, it's one of their only weaknesses due to their immortality and invulnerability; we either use flare guns or homemade flamethrowers, using a lighter and a gas canister sometimes, to take down a wendigo because it allows us as hunters to be further enough away from a wendigo so we don't get hurt.

 

One of my earlier hunts, when I was sixteen, was a wendigo which had captured my mother; we were in the woods near the mineshaft when my mother fell down into it and was somehow taken.  Wendigos tend to hoard their food, keeping their victims alive until they decide to kill and eat them so we knew she would be alright for a while.  Wendigos like dark, isolated places, such as caves and abandoned mines, leaving their victims hanging up like a pig in a butcher's.  When we went down into the mine, we found my mother and the last person to be kidnapped strung up by their hands; Mum had a big gash across her stomach so when we got them down, I kept pressure on her wound just as the wendigo burst down the shaft.  My father was prepared and had his flare gun out, firing it at the wendigo's chest before it could attack as it charged towards us, burning it to death.  Luckily we were able to save the latest victim and my mother despite losing a couple before we arrived in town so it was a success hunt.

 


	11. Monsters: Rugaru

I am very rarely scared by any monster as I've grown up around hunters and hunting but there is one particular monster that strikes fear in my heart and it's a rugaru.  They are carnivorous humanoids that eat long pig AKA human flesh, similar to wendigos.  Born and live as humans, rugarus are typically unaware of their "condition" until they reach a certain age and they suddenly compelled to eat large quantities of food which eventually progresses into them wanting to eat human flesh.

 

Rugarus appear human until closer inspection.  Their skin is considerably pale in comparison to human skin, allowing the veins to appear more prominent; you could almost call their skin worm-like as it has folds along it, like a worm which is quite disturbing but painfully obvious when trying to distinguish what you are up against.  Before they've fully changed, during their transition, the whites of their eyes appear red and bloody but once they've fully changed, they become pitch black and demonic.

 

Unlike other "conditions", rugarus aren't turned by a bite, it is passed down genetically and it is hard to stop the transformation and I have not known anyone with that gene to overcome the transformation in the end as it is a powerful craving.  Like other monsters, they have enhanced strength and speed as well as "super" senses and stamina so be careful, as I keep saying, because they are extremely quick and are able to throw a full grown man across the room so a 5 foot 7 woman like myself is no problem.

 

One of the only things that can kill a rugaru is fire; it's horrific but burning them alive.  That is probably the reason why I am scared of rugarus, hearing their screams as they are killed.  I have been known to throw up when hunting a rugaru; it's probably why other hunters always insist on joining me in these kinds of hunts so that I don't get hurt.  There are other ways to kill a rugaru, such as the demon-killing knife I've given you, but that means being too close for comfort and risking being bitten and killed.  As I've said, being bitten doesn't turn you into a rugaru; it is just incredibly painful and can cause you to bleed out as they tend to go for the major artery on the neck.


	12. Monsters: Black Dog

As we are currently in Victorian London, I think it's important to tell you about black dogs as they are more common in Britain than they are anywhere else.  They are spiritual apparitions that generally appear at night; they appear like regular, flesh-and-blood black dogs but have large and/or glowing eyes.  They are clearly larger than regular dog and have the ability to appear and disappear out of thin air.  This ability can scare their intended victims, causing them to become irrational as they can think they're going mad with a large dog chasing them.

 

They often appear on roads or other places where people move from one place to one another, like a footpath, bridges, crossroads, gates, doors, stairs, and corridors.  They seem to be able to alter their appearance as well to become more terrifying such as no head, two heads or change their size.

 

In the way they hunt, they are similar to hellhounds and wendigos; they are vicious and can take down a full grown man much quicker than they can normally react.  As I've been hunting in the States for most of my life, I haven't come up against a black dog in years but from what my parents told me when they hunted before we moved, they can be taken down with a silver knife so it would have to be a close kill.  Hopefully you won't come up against too many of these as it could be suicidal in the end.  I do have a possible theory that you could use silver bullets to stop them but with their ability to appear and disappear at will, it could be tricky to hit them in time where as being up close and personal would provide the better opportunity


	13. Monsters: Arachne

Similar to spider, arachne are supernatural creatures that create strong webs, just like spiders, so they can trap their victims easily.  By biting their victims, they are able to change humans into arachnes, so to carry on their species; a consequence of the bite, other than possible transformation, it can kill humans because they are poisonous.  Also like a real spider, they have multiple eyes so their field of vision is split into several images.

 

They are quite obvious in appearance given their resemblance to spiders with crusty skin and multiple eyes.  They all seem to share the same eye colour too, sky blue, from the handful of arachnes I've come up against.  If they were to cover their eyes and most of their skin however, they could possibly blend in with humans so in winter, be extra careful.  During summertime, it would be obvious if someone is all bundled up during various heatwaves, I know this is England so rain is more common but I thought it would be best to cover my bases still.

 

Other than supernatural weapons such as Death's scythe, the First Blade, and the Clot, arachnes can only be killed by beheading much like a vampire.  I do recommend doing strengthening exercises as it isn't easy to cut off a head, even with a very sharp machete - though a freshly sharpened machete does help immensely.


	14. Monsters: Ghouls

One of the trickier monsters I've faced is a ghoul, a scavenger like creature that tends to inhabit graveyards, giving them easy access to their traditional diet of flesh and blood of the deceased.  It has been known, however, for ghouls to vary their diet with living flesh and blood.  Once they have ingested some flesh and/or blood, ghouls are able to transform into that person, no matter if they are living or dead, giving the illusion that either someone has come back from the dead or they haven't gone missing.

 

When they take on someone's form, ghouls obtain the memories of the person they are mimicking, much like a shapeshifter.  They also have enough speed behind them to enable them to be faster than humans, enabling escapes and the ability to gain the upper hand in a fight which, when combined with their enhanced strength, allows them to fling pretty much anyone across a small room but without momentum, they are considered one of the weaker ones amongst supernatural creatures.

 

While weaker than most supernatural creatures, ghouls are notoriously difficult to stop as they are extremely durable and invulnerability as they don't seem to be stopped by silver and also able to withstand shotgun blasts and most other injuries.  Decapitation can kill ghouls, like vampires, meaning they're not completely invulnerable.  However, as well as decapitation, severe head injuries, resulting in extensive brain damage can kill ghouls.

 

Due to their scavenger-like nature, it is assumed that ghouls hunt alone but I have faced a pair of ghouls while I was luckily with my hunting partner at the time, Darcy; unfortunately, this was also the time we learnt that ghouls so eat living blood and flesh as well.  They were able to get the jump on me when I entered a crypt and pinned me to the top of a stone coffin while Darcy was searching other crypts then bit my neck and slit my wrists to drink my blood.  Darcy fortunately ran into the crypt just as I started to lose consciousness and lopped their heads off in time then wrapped my wounds up before I bled out completely.

 

From my experience, ghouls don't pass on their curse through bites, they breed so fortunately there wasn't a risk of infection which is always information I think any hunter should know, what will turn and what won't.


	15. Monsters: Djinn

Djinn - also known as jinn, jinni, and genies - are quite rare amongst supernatural creatures; they are cave-dwelling, hermit-like creatures that have the power to produce extremely powerful hallucinations in humans' minds.

 

They are human-like creatures with extensively tattooed skin that like to live large ruins that allow them to hide easily.  They survive on a diet of human blood and can poison their victims through touch; they can use the poison to either kill their victims quickly or keep them in a coma-like state while the djinn feeds on their blood over an extended period of time.

 

One key indicator that you are being attacked by a djinn is when they are coming towards you with glowing blue eyes and hands; really crucial information before all the nitty gritty parts about their powers.  Though immortal, djinn are only created through conception so they have to mate and over the years, the djinn bloodline has become diluted and have created two types of djinn.  Both types are extremely strong and quick like most monsters so ensure you keep an eagle eye on your surroundings.

 

In various lore, djinn, commonly referred to as genies, are depicted as being able to grant anyone's deepest desires by reading people's minds to do so.  However, djinn do not actually grant people's wishes; instead, using the poison, the djinn creates extremely powerful hallucinations which are convincing enough for their victim, while immobilised, to believe that they are actually living in a reality created by the djinn.

 

The fantasy universe that both types generate differs depending on the victim but one type of djinn generates a world where they believe their greatest wish has been fulfilled.  At their peak, the fantasies are incredibly detailed and include a fantasy version of the djinn, taking on a human form to blend in, who tries to keep their victim in this world, continuously infecting them.  However, things can slip through to the victim's subconscious, much like dreaming, if the fantasy wanes, such as voices or parts of their real surroundings; it's as if their bodies are trying to show them they are trapped in some alternate reality.  In the fantasies, time passes slowly enough that the djinn's victims feel as if they are living an entire lifetime before their physical bodies dies.  The only way to escape these fantasies is for the victim to commit suicide in their fantasy, in which case they wake up in reality.  However, if they die by anything other than their own hand during the fantasy, they will die in real life; I have lost many innocent people during djinn hunts because of this.

 

The other type of djinn, which are kind of bastard offshoots, don't actually feed on blood but on fear; unlike traditional djinn, the fear djinn pass as normal humans as their tattooed skin isn't as extensive but they still possess the blue glowing eyes when attacking their prey.  Instead of just killing their victims, the poison of this type of djinn turns victim's insides to jelly and leave a blue handprint on the body.  As I've said, they feed on fear and have to force their victims to feel more fear to get a better meal; their poison causes hallucinations where the victim is forced to live through their worst nightmare constantly and eventually die from fear.  The only way to escape this nightmare is to let go of the fear which is easier said than done which is why I personally think this type of djinn is deadlier.

 

A sure-fire to kill a djinn is with a silver knife dipped in lamb's blood; straight through the heart is ideal as it kills them instantly, stopping their poison immediately, while other injuries can drag it out.


	16. Monsters: Changelings

Over the years, I have come across a few different types of monsters that you can only see their true form in a mirror; one of which is a changeling, a humanoid creature that feed on the synovial fluid of humans.  We see them as normal human beings but in mirrors and other reflective surfaces, they have discoloured, slimy skin with hollow eyes and a round mouth with an excessive amount of teeth - almost lamprey like.  A clear indicator that it is a changeling will be that you find the victims will have a circle bite wound on the back of their neck because of the changeling's mouth.

 

Throughout history, young changelings have been switched human children so to feed on the original child's mother while the mother changeling takes the human children underground and feeds on them.  The changeling that replaces the child looks exactly the same but act differently as they are cold; some just assume that the child is just not feeling well.  Changelings are furious when it comes to their feeding habits and won't allow anything to separate them from their food source, killing anyone who gets in their way.  The mothers that are being fed on by the changelings can last a few months before death, at which point, the changelings move on.

 

Though stronger than humans generally, they can be overpowered, making them an easier foe than let's say a vampire.  Setting a changeling on fire will kill it and killing the mother changeling will cause its children to die instantly, hopefully saving many lives in the process.


	17. Monsters: Wraiths

Another supernatural creature that can hide in plain sight like a changeling but can be seen in a mirror is a wraith.  They feed on human brain fluids and can infect us with high doses of dopamine to make the fluids taste "better" as one wraith told me before I killed her.  The dopamine enhances humans' inner problems and emotions - they don't have to necessarily be crazy - and slowly, their victims become more emotionally unstable.

 

Like a changeling, they appear human but in a mirror, they have rotten-looking skin; however, unlike a changeling who feed through their mouth, wraiths have a spike located in their wrists which they push into a weak spot on the human skull, behind the victim's ear, giving them easy access to the brain.  This sucks the victim's brain completely dry if done thoroughly, therefore killing the victim.

 

Over the centuries, wraiths have taken to utilising psychiatric asylums as their feeding grounds as it gives them a perfect opportunity to feed regularly for two reasons; one, the patients' brains are soaked in dopamine generally because of their illnesses, and two, the staff would never believe the patients that a monster is killing them once again because of their mental disorders.

 

I have been on the receiving end of a wraith attack once before when my first hunting partner, Kelley, was sectioned when his family found out about his job as a hunter, thinking he had lost the plot; I visited him regularly and tried to convince the doctors he wasn't.  Unfortunately, when you start agreeing with a diagnosed schizophrenic, the doctors begin to question your sanity too; unbeknownst to me, while I was visiting Kelley, the wraith was posing as one of the nurses so every time she touched me, which enhanced the worst parts of my personality.  I was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia - the doctors said my mind was playing tricks on me as there was no such thing as monsters - with religious psychosis, anger issues, and minor narcissistic personality disorder; this is the trouble with hunting, people will think you are, in fact, crazy.  The doctors suggested it would be best for me to be kept under supervision so that they could help me get a handle on my illness.  During that time, Kelley got worse and so did I, becoming angrier and starting to see things that weren't really there, even though the hallucinations were realistic, involving monsters and things I had seen during my hunts; during an angry outburst, I was able to see the wraith in a mirror as I was being restrained and sedated.  When I came to, I was able to confront the wraith, poorly I may add, as she tried to attack Kelley.

 

Wraiths can be stopped with a silver weapon of any variation; without a mirror, touching a wraith with anything silver can burn their skin and crack, indicating that they are in fact a wraith.  In Kelley's room, as he was attacked by the wraith posing as a nurse, I was able to sneak up behind her and stab her in the heart with a silver plated letter opener that I pickpocket from a doctor's office.  While not completely invincible, wraiths are strong and agile so hunting in pairs is ideal as it allows opportunity to sneak up on wraiths as they are quicker and stronger than humans and can overpower us.  Upon killing the wraith, Kelley and I discovered that their poison wears off quickly as my mind became clearer rapidly.  Going up against the wraith scared me because it showed me that I am a few steps from losing my mind after everything I have been through but I wouldn't change it for the world as I have saved so many lives.

 

I know there are institutions in your time for those with issues I have described; they're just handled differently from my time so you may not actively seek out a wraith.  However, this information is incredibly useful if you are unsure on a particular hunt.


	18. Monsters: Crocotta

There are many supernatural creatures that can lure people into their traps and one in particular has tricked even the better than I.  Crocotta can mimic any person's voice, enabling them to lure their victims out so they can feed on them.  In legends, they just call their victim's name, drawing them deeper into the forests so that they can devour them but as the years have passed and we as a society have moved out of living in forests and living in large communities, the crocotta have needed to adapt, taking advantage of our ever changing technology.  Crocotta live in filth and survive on human souls and use the voice of their victim's loved one to try and convince them to commit suicide or to come to them so that they can kill them, allowing them the opportunity to swallow the victim's soul.  Crocotta are renowned for saying "come to me", making them recognisable simply from this line.

 

Crocotta have shapeshifting abilities so I have never seen their true form as they appear human until they feed and their jaw unhinges like a snake and their large, sharp teeth are visible.  While not incredibly strong like most supernatural creatures, they have amazing speed, able to seemingly appear out of nowhere.  Though they aren't immortal, they have an extended lifespan and difficult to kill; however, a stab to the back of the neck seems to work, that's how I was able to stop the crocotta I found as the brothers I occasionally work with told me about that particular vulnerability.  Maybe if you come up against one and find other ways to stop them, you can write them down and pass it on to future generations.


	19. Monsters: Golem

Supernatural creatures are discussed in multiple types of religious lore but a golem is a specific kind, Jewish as they are a supernatural being created from clay, made and given life to obey a rabbi.  They are usually under the employ of Rabbis, or the descendant of the Rabbis, that reanimated them.  To animate and control a golem, one needs to place a scroll in its mouth with one's name on it; upon doing so, one gains full control of the golem.  While if ownership is passed on through inheritance you don't need to change the name of the master, the scroll can be forcibly removed and replaced through magic, changing the golem's loyalties.  If the scroll is removed or the ownership is contested then the golem becomes incapacitated.

 

They were originally created to protect the Jewish people in times of war or genocide and are typically aggressive and brutal in their execution of their orders but aren't necessarily bad as they are capable of understanding the concept of good and bad and don't kill unless ordered to. 

 

Golems have a bulky physique and a huge build; given that they are made of clay, they are very heavy and every step they take creates an audible thudding sound.  They also don't bleed if damaged; they leave behind bits of clay.  With a huge build and bulky physique, golems are easily strong enough to snap a human's neck or rip them apart without even batting an eye; they are also able to throw a large full-grown man into the air as if he were nothing but a pillow and smash through walls.  Conventional human weapons have no effect on them and don't age either, alluding to immortality.  As they don't require any sustenance, golems are pretty much unstoppable unless commanded to by their master.

 

As I've said, golems aren't necessarily bad, it all depends on their master and the orders they are given.  I wouldn't suggest going up against a golem though given their strength and size, I'd stop their human master in some way as it is the safer, easier option, rather than risking having your neck broken.


	20. Monsters: Tulpa

Another supernatural being that is created that are impossible to stop is a Tulpa, a physical materialisation of a thought, resulting in the creation of a being or object.  Tulpas are created when many people concentrate on one thing while looking a Tibetan Spirit Sigil.

Once created, a Tulpa takes on a life of its own and no longer needs people to believe in it.


	21. Monsters: Vetala

Vetala are a snake-like monster that hunt in pairs, making it easier to capture their prey, they very rarely hunt solo.  They appear to be protective and loyal of their kind, with a strong pack mentality like vampires.  They have the appearance of a human until they attack, at which point they reveal sharp fangs, like a vampire, and blue, snake-like eyes.  Due to their similarity to vampires when they attack, it is easy to mix the two monsters though the bite marks are a little different as vampires have more teeth and tend to turn their victims while vetala just kill theirs. 

 

When vetala bite their victims to feed, they knock them out with a paralysing venom they possess if their fangs, weakening their victims overall and causing a ringing in the ear when they come to.  Another couple of similarities they share with their vampire cousins are their super strength and senses, allowing them to overpower and throw full grown men across rooms and detect when someone is sneaking up on them.  This makes them hard to kill but not impossible.

 

As many supernatural creatures do, vetala are vulnerable to silver and can be killed with it.  However, a stab to the heart with a silver knife won't do it alone, you have to make sure you twist the knife once to effectively kill a vetala.  When they die a vetala's body crumbles apart.


	22. Monsters: Pishtaco

Now I'm getting into the more exotic kinds of supernatural creatures as I think everyone should know as much as they can when hunting, just in case.  Indigenous to Peru, pishtacos are parasitic fat-sucking creatures, feeding solely on human fat to survive and possess a great hunger for it.  Due to their parasitic nature, they don't hunt down their prey to feet unlike vampires who seek out their food source and kill them once they are done; they are able to live harmoniously with humans as long as they don't suck too much fat or rip a hole in their victim.

 

Like most other monsters, they look completely human but when they feed, their eyes roll back and reveal an elongated, almost lamprey like, sucking appendage released from their mouth, allowing them to suck fat.  Once they have fed, pishtacos gain superhuman strength and are able to stop most attacks but if deprived of sustenance for a while, they are extremely weak in comparison and can be killed easily.

 

Like most monsters, they are vulnerable to silver and can be killed with silver weapons.  Severing their sucking appendage with a silver blade instantly stops a pishtaco and can save lives, especially if they have started to indulge themselves and kill as they feed.


	23. Monsters: Shōjō

A Shōjō is a Japanese monster with ghost-like qualities as they are invisible and can only be perceived by those that are drunk, they do differ as they are tangible and alive.  They can be harnessed to carry out an individual's desires by use of a spell box; while hunting those it is sent after, it likes to take its time, approaching its victim very slowly and only becoming aggressive and fast when someone or something gets in its way, almost like it's taunting its victim.  Shōjō also seem to prefer openly attacking their prey when they're intoxicated enough to see them and is fine with following them until this point.

 

Shōjō are amongst the strongest monsters I have come up against and are difficult to kill due to their unique abilities.  Like a ghost, they are able to move objects without touching them, such as closing doors to prevent their victims from escaping.  They are also able teleport from place to place by thought and lift and throw items a great distance if they so choose.  Their preferred method of killing seems to be with their razor sharp claws.  They love to use their invisibility to taunt their victims, making them paranoid and possibly driving them to drink to calm their nerves which then allows their victim to see them before they strike; their invisibility, like many invisible creatures, makes them soundless, making it difficult to keep track of an approaching attack.

 

The only weapon, other than supernatural ones, that can stop a Shōjō is a katana blessed by a Shinto priest - though a Shinto blessing by a normal person seems to suffice as well.  When they are stabbed with the blade, it kills the Shōjō and they become visible for a few seconds before its death.

 

Being drunk on a hunt is not ideal as it skews your depth perception and can cause more harm than good so be cautious on Shōjō hunts, especially when it comes to using the katana. It's easy to imagine a drunken person swinging a katana wildly going horribly wrong.


	24. Monsters: Ōkami

Another supernatural creature native to Japan that my family have come up against during their travels are ōkami which are rarely seen outside of their native country.

 

Similar to other supernatural creatures, ōkami look like normal humans until they attack. Muck like a werewolf, ōkami grow canine like teeth to feed on their victims.  Ōkami have a distinctive quick regarding their feeding habits unlike most supernatural creatures; each ōkami have a favourite type of prey, such as lone women or young men.

 

Ōkami are quick and strong, able to casually throw full grown humans across a room. Though not invulnerable, ōkami are able to survive gunshot blasts so they

 

The more known way to kill a ōkami is with a bamboo dagger blessed by Shintō priest, stabbing them seven times in the heart. We have discovered that complete destruction of their body if pushed through a motorised engine of some kind, like most things, kills them instantly.


	25. Monsters: Rakshasa

Noted in mostly Hindu mythology, the rakshasa is an extremely nasty supernatural creature. They are mischievous imp like creatures with homicidal tendencies due to their need to feed on human flesh. Their lairs are easy to find as they sleep on a bed of dead insects.

 

They are able to hide in plain sight with their ability to shapeshift and become invisible.  Fast and strong, a rakshasa can easily overpower humans and break bones without a second's thought; their hearing is incredible, making it difficult to sneak up on them, plus they can overhear conversations over a vast distance as well.  As with many quick supernatural creatures, hunting in pairs or a group is preferable so to ensure everyone but the rakshasa survives.

 

Unusual for a supernatural creature, rakshasas are vulnerable to brass so I recommend using a brass knife as stabbing them is easier than shooting them as they are incredibly fast and can move quicker than a bullet.  Another weird vulnerability that rakshasas cannot enter a home without being invited in; I have heard a rakshasa dressing as a clown and tricking children in to inviting into their home so they are able to kill their parents.


	26. Monsters: Witches

Not really a monster but a supernatural being, witches are humans, of any gender, with the power to affect change by magical means, a literal definition.  They connect themselves with supernatural forces, borrowing through demonic means for example or were born with powers, in order to practice sorcery.  In my opinion, witches are tricky and blood tends to be involved whenever they are around.

 

Witchcraft crops up in many cultures, nations, and religions and depending upon the individual, some witches practice their power by certain belief systems such as Hoodoo, Voodoo, and Wicca for example.  There are many types of witchcraft activities including astrology divination, spell casting, and spiritual communication to name a few.  Not all witches use their magic to do dark, sinister deeds and commonly use their, what we call, "white" magic to maintain balance within the world.  However, "dark" practitioners can use their magic to do some horrendous things, such as kill people from afar.  Magic can be compared to drugs as once many get a taste of the power they can wield, the power can corrupt them so if you do start practicing alongside hunting, as I have, be careful; the power is seductive.

 

Along with the different practices and belief systems, there are different classifications of witch: borrowers, naturals, and students.

 

A "borrower" is a term commonly used to define any person who has obtained their power through demonic forces by summoning a demon and making a deal with them in exchange for power.  While it is common for souls to be traded for power, a demon can be promised something else of value but it all depends on the demon.  These are the more common type of witch.

 

A "natural" is a term used to define any person who was born with their power or developed it naturally.  Due to the rarity of this type of witch, little is known about them other than they are known to have been born with a natural affinity to the supernatural powers of the universe.

 

More common than a natural but less common than borrowers, a "student" is commonly any person who has obtained their power through practice and training.  These witches are normally taught about witchcraft by other witches, though some are self-taught.

 

Practices of witchcraft, no matter the culture etc. it comes from, has ceremonies and celebrations that each member takes part in normally and they come together as a coven to take part in these gatherings.  All covens must have at least one leader, called a High Priest(ess) and each coven has its own set of laws and punishments, which can be many or few, created by the leader(s).

 

A witch's power is dependent not only on their source of magic but also their knowledge and training; without the latter two, no matter how strong they are, a witch can be easily subdue.  I have come up against a coven of witches who obtained their power from a demon and was able to stop them by simply frightening them but I have also faced a student witch who had been training for years and was thrown around like a ragdoll before my hunting partner, Darcy, stopped her.

 

Though potion brewing and spell casting are basic witch powers, something even hunters do from time to time, some witches, with more training and practice, can develop other powers such astral projection, control over the elements, levitation, and telekinesis to name a few.

 

Common tools that witches use are athames, candles, cauldrons, herbs, gems, and stones which are normally found on an alter with the practitioner's book of shadows, a spellbook which documents their recipes, rituals, and spells, along with a talisman, an enchanted object used to empower and/or protect the wearer.

 

Witches are still human so they are still vulnerable to everything that can affect their mortality as well as magic being used against them; iron is commonly used to repress the powers of a witch.  If trapping a witch, hunters commonly use iron handcuffs to keep them restrained as normal cuffs can be broken out of.

 

As you may have noticed my small note, I practice magic for small things, such as summoning and other spells; this is common practice when hunting as we have to face demons and angels, which have a lot more power than us.  The spells are small and simple and require very little to do so all in all, it's safe but I don't do it very often so please don't worry about me.


	27. Monsters: Familiars

While not all witches have them, some witches have familiar, a supernatural creature that spends half their time as an animal and the other as human.  They seem to function as a servant to his or her witch but have to seek their witch first.  Once they have chosen their master, they cannot leave them, no matter what, and cannot disobey a direct order from their master.  Despite this, a familiar has free will and can voice their own opinions, providing another voice for a witch and help them through a spell.

 

They are extremely rare and I have only know about them through other hunters but I think it's worth telling you about them.


	28. Monsters: Dragons

Now we're getting into the more obscure, rare lore I know.  Though thought to be purely fictional at first, recently we discovered that dragons are in fact real; while similar to dragons described in traditional lore, dragons appear more like humanoid creatures rather than the large winged beasts who have come to know from traditional art.  They are attracted to gold and traditionally live in caves, though they can be found in underground dwellings such as sewers when there are no caves to hide in.  They appear to be social creatures, working with members of their own kind if they are seen at all.

 

Due to their rarity, not much is known about them; they can take human form but do have a true form, with large wings they use to fly and large talons that can create large, deep gashes in their victims.  Despite their size, they can move with incredible speed, agility, and stealth.  They are also powerful monster, making them difficult to kill; they seem to be nearly invulnerable as the only known way to kill them is with a sword forced in dragon's blood as well as being able to generate intense heat from their hands which is hot enough to melt metals like iron and even incinerate humans.

 

I have only come up against one dragon when it escaped the Winchesters and I still have the handprint burn to show for it; I was only able to distract it long enough for the boys to kill it as I didn't have a sword that could kill it to hand as such a sword is even rarer.  Luckily, I lived to tell the tale but I don't recommend going up against one as they are quick and strong - able to throw me across an empty warehouse without much effort.


	29. Monsters: Phoenixes

Phoenixes are believed to mythical just like dragons, maybe even more so, but they do exist, just not like how you would expect as they appear human.  They are immortal and powerful, having the power to burn anyone into ash with a simple touch of its hand; despite this they are still vulnerable as iron can hurt them.  However, the only weapon I know that can kill them is the Colt, a supernatural gun made by Samuel Colt when Halley's Comet was overhead so the legend goes.  When they die, they combust in a great burst of flames and leave ashes behind.

 

If not kill properly, a phoenix can recover from any injury due to their ability to regenerate even if it looks like they did in fact die.


	30. Monsters: Deities

Just like God being real, so are other gods AKA Pagan gods/deities, also known as the Old Gods.  They are a race of immortal supernatural entities, and each is a prime authority in the religion or pantheon that they established or belonged to.  Despite having a role in human religion and possessing free will, the majority of them are cruel, petty, uncaring, and only concerned with themselves and their survival, as most creatures in this world are. Several of them are known to have a taste for human flesh and they are confirmed to use humans as a food source as well as offerings through virgin sacrifices which is the only reason I would go up against a god.

 

At various points in time, possibly at the same time, pagan deities started to appear and they formed their own collective pantheons and religions across the world, attracting many followers, and were worshipped for centuries/millennia.  They were described as short of being invincible due to the tributes these followers made to them.  However, as Abrahamic faiths arrived (Judaism, Christianity, Islam), majority of these deities lost a significant portion of their followers and thus their power; without their worshippers, over the years, deities either hold minor cults or simply take sacrifices by killing others.

 

Each hold differing stances or certain events and can be against other beliefs and religions so it is rare to see them come together; however, if they do, be worried.  There is very little, if any, between any of them unless they are from the same religions.

 

Pagan deities often masquerade as normal humans, hiding their true form, and I can't even describe them all, there are that many deities so I recommend looking them up and gathering your own information.  However, most look down on humans, seeing us as food, subjects, entertainment, or sacrifices. Some even attack humans simply for fun and enjoying harming, torturing, and killing humans.

 

Classified as higher beings, pagan deities are powerful but their powers do vary from one another unlike most supernatural species.  Though immortality, invulnerability, super strength and stamina, and magic are standard powers amongst them, each god has different powers; I'll put a note next to each one in the list.

 

Gods I Know Of/Have Met

  * Ganesh - supreme knowledge, shapeshifting
  * Kali - telekinesis, teleportation, biokinesis, supreme knowledge, pyrokinesis
  * Baldur - teleportation, supreme knowledge
  * Odin - supreme knowledge
  * Vili
  * Fenris
  * Artemis - telekinesis, teleportation
  * The Fates - teleportation, time manipulation, supreme knowledge
  * Calliope - conjuration
  * Chronos - teleportation, time manipulation, supreme knowledge, foresight
  * Prometheus
  * Zeus - biokinesis, electrokinesis, cursing
  * Mercury - super speed, supreme knowledge, reality warping, influence over vegetation
  * Plutus - teleportation
  * Veritas - telekinesis, shapeshifting, truth compulsion
  * Vesta - supernatural perception
  * Isis
  * Cacao - granting immortality
  * Leshi - super speed, telekinesis, telepathy, super senses, shapeshifting
  * Oberon
  * Baron Samedi - supreme knowledge
  * Zao Shen



 

Though they are powerful beings, they can be killed a varity of methods.  Some by specific rituals; Leshi has to be decapitated by an iron axe and Veritas has to stabbed with a knife dipped in dog's blood.  Many gods are vulnerable to wooden stakes dipped in particular blood; the stakes often have to made from trees that are common to the home country/nation of the god; Zeus is only vulnerable to a wooden stake made of a tree struck by lightning.  Weapons of the gods, such as Thor's hammer Mjölnir, can stop pagan deities too.


	31. Monsters: Tricksters

Tricksters are mischievous demigods/deities with the ability to warp reality to their will and make real-looking objects and people out of thin air.  Tricksters are rather rare but their powers are greater than most beings as they, along with reality warping and such, they can create infinite time loops.

 

Appearing human, they can be identified with mischievous personality and affinity with sugary treats; hiding in plain sight, normally as someone that can slip under your nose, like a blue collar worker, they tend to go after those with who think highly of themselves, enjoying taking them down a peg in ironic ways.

 

As they are deities, they can be stopped the same way, with wooden stakes dipped in blood.


	32. Monsters: Amazons

Created by a meeting of the pagan gods Ares and Harmonia, Amazons are all-female warrior race of near-human creatures, who reproduce by mating with human males; the pregnancy is quick, a matter of hours if you would believe it, and the child matures quickly going from baby to teenager within a matter of days.

 

Amazonian tradition dictates that the child created after mating must kill their father as a sign of initiation; they do this by first cutting off his limbs and carving a symbol into his chest before killing them.

Before their initiation, children are trained and tortured to make them strong and they have a mark burned into their skin.

 

While Amazons are incredibly strong, able to throw a grown man through a wall, they can be killed as easily as a human.


	33. Monsters: Fairies

Some creatures seem too absurd to be real but fairies are real, that I know for certain.  The brothers I have spoken about before have faced them and another hunter, Garth, killed a Tooth Fairy, and they all say that they're quite tricky and can be dangerous.

 

They hail from Avalon, another realm that is tangent to ours that only fairies and those they chose can see; they seem to have a preference for the eldest child out of a group of siblings.

 

Not much is really known about fairies or Avalon but they do have some form of hierarchy and justice system to accompany it which humans can be punished within too if they have committed a crime against a fairy.  They do have a fairy king, Oberon, who rules over all of those in Avalon.

 

Known for being mischievous creatures, even in folklore, fairies come in many forms and appear to sensitive to energy, including the energy given off by a human soul. Despite their mischievous nature, they have a compulsive side to them as every fairy suffers with arithmomania, a mental disorder that may be seen as an expression of obsessive-compulsive disorder.  Sufferers of this disorder have the overwhelming urge to count their actions or objects in their surroundings so even the most powerful any fairy can be stopped by counting every grain of sugar or salt, one by one, if someone pours it in front of them.

 

Humans can try and gain favour from fairies by leaving them bowls of cream. Cream affects fairies like alcohol affects humans, rendering them intoxicated if they eat it so it is either a way to lure them in for a favour or as a trap.  Another way fairies can be summoned is through spells so to make deals with human, often exchanging their services for a price, such as the rights to all of the firstborn sons in an area.  Once called upon, the fairy will remain in that area until banished by another spell.

 

There are many types of fairies that hunters, including myself, have come up against, varying in power.  Oberon is the king of the fairies and little is known about him except that he is respected by his kind and throughout Avalon as its leader.  His powers and abilities are presumed to be greater than all other fairies but as he has not crossed into our realm (or so I know), so no hunters have faced him and reported on it.

 

Another powerful type of fairy is a leprechaun; in whatever human form they take, they blend in with normal-sized humans, no matter what people say in legends.  They can travel great distances in the blink of an eye and are incredibly strong.  It has been claimed that leprechauns are capable of greater feats than those of angels but this has not been proven.

 

Despite their size, tinks are strong, powerful fairies; they are incredibly small, able to sit in the palm of a human hand and appear as naked, beautiful women with wings that shine.  When they are angry, they are capable of great feats of strength - able to take down a large grown man without any difficultly - and can fly and are incredibly quick.  This makes them tricky to stop as they can slip through your fingers as they fight you.

 

A more dangerous type of fairy is the redcap, a dangerously homicidal fairy, and they are known for mercilessly killing travellers who trespass into their territory.  Their hats are red because they soak them in the blood of their victims; it is said that they have to kill regularly because if the blood dries, they will die.

 

Though more of an alignment than an actual type of fairy, 'good' fairies also appear human-like.  They seem to be more like fairies from classical fairy tales we have all properly grown up on as they live in the woods of Avalon, and therefore like the woods of our realm.  While they can be bound and forced to kill other by magic, they dislike harming others and are quite powerful.

 

Powerful fairies are able to manipulate reality to their whims like pagan deities and able to teleport over great distances as well as move objects with their minds.  Able to pick and choose who is able to see them, fairies use their invisibility to cause mischief in our realm. However, if someone has been to Avalon then fairies will automatically be seen, whether they want to be or not, though they can choose who sees Avalon in the first place.

 

As I've said, fairies are vulnerable to cream as it intoxicates them, knocking them out if they consume enough, just like humans and alcohol.  They are also incredibly vulnerable to iron and silver; while iron may not kill them, it is harmful, and silver burns and kills them. 


	34. Monsters: Demons

Demons are corrupted human souls that have endured extensive torture in Hell at the hands of other, older demons.  They become corrupted, extremely evil, and powerful in the process, revelling in pain, chaos, and death.  Most demons forget what it means to be human and some even forget they used to be human, seeing themselves as morally superior to humans.  Despite being powerful though, they are unable to take on a human form alone, manifesting in a cloud of black smoke when on Earth, so have to possess someone, borrowing their "meat suit" to interact with humans. 

 

The creation of demons comes straight from the Old Testament; God created Earth then paradise on Earth called the Garden of Eden, placing humanity in it and declaring them his favourite creations.  Ordering the angels in Heaven to bow down before the humans, the archangel Lucifer refused as he saw humans as inferior to him.  Due to his actions and declaring war against God, Lucifer was cast down to Earth.

 

Meanwhile, God placed Gadreel, his most trust angel, to guard Eden from Lucifer but the latter was somehow able to get past Gadreel's defences and snuck into the garden.  As payback for being cast out, Lucifer corrupted Adam's first wife's, Lilith, soul and made her into the first demon.  Still in the garden, Lucifer was able to trick Adam and Eve, Adam's other wife, into eating the forbidden fruit, resulting humanity into being cast out of Eden for disobeying him.

 

Adam and Eve had two sons, Cain and Abel, eventually and Lucifer was able to manipulate Abel into listening to him instead of God.  Cain, however, realised what Lucifer was doing and offered his own soul instead of his brother's so that Abel would be able to go to Heaven.  Lucifer agreed to the deal if Cain killed Abel; using a blade made out of the jawbone of an ass, which was then powered by a mark Lucifer placed on Cain's arm, Cain slaughtered his brother and sent his soul to Heaven.  The mark drove Cain into a murderous rage, making him kill humans to feel better; however, Cain couldn't bear the amount of murder he committed so Cain took his own life with the blade.  However, the mark wouldn't let Cain go and instead transformed him into a demon, thus making the first Knight of Hell.

 

God witnessed the further corruption of his once beloved creations and was horrified and created a personal cage for Lucifer to stop his evil deeds which was locked by 66 seals.  The only way to open the cage is to break the 66 seals; there are 666 potential seals but the first and last seals are the most important - the first being the first righteous man to shed blood in Hell and the last being the death of Lilith, the first demon.

 

Before Lucifer was locked away, he ordered Cain to create more demons like him so Cain picked early humans and transformed them into demons, specifically Knights of Hells.  He trained each Knight to be ruthless, merciless, and they pillaged the Earth.

 

Over the years, humans became wicked with the temptations of our world and started going to Hell instead of Heaven; in Hell, their souls were tortured, twisted, and corrupted, becoming demons which allowed them to corrupt more souls by making deals and such, creating a vicious circle as more souls were condemned to Hell thus corrupting them into demons.  Sometimes, demons are sent back to Earth to accomplish certain tasks, such as causing disasters, spreading diseases, assassinating hunters - a favourite pastime I think, and manipulating people into committing crimes that will get them sent to Hell.  This is why we actively hunt demons even if they are stronger than us.

 

A common personality demons have is that they have no quarrel with killing or torturing their own kind to achieve their goals without pause or remorse.  High-ranking demons will casually sacrifice their underlings without hesitation.  However, some demons forge bonds with one another and can become angered if each other are killed, lashing out at the killers.

 

Once a soul becomes a demon, it gains what we call basic demon powers - possession, superhuman strength and stamina, electromagnetic interference, immortality, invulnerability, supernatural perception, telekinesis, and soul extraction.  From there, they can work their way up the demonic ladder, gaining greater authority and power within the hierarchy of Hell.  Often when a demon uses its powers, they leave a trace of sulphur in the surrounding area, or if on a person, around the victim; there is the distinctive smell of rotten eggs if that helps.  The stronger the demon, the more sulphur left behind.

 

When possessing a human, they usually enter and exit their vessel through the mouth; possessed humans often look exactly the same as they did before possession except for their eyes will sometimes change colour depending on the demon.  Demon possession also results in a chemical change in the host's blood as demon blood is known to be a unique serum and has certain attributes when ingested.  When possessed, the humans begins speaking and acting like the demon would and upon exorcism, the human, if they survived, normally retains no memory of their time being possessed unless they have been "awake" during possession which is a nightmare for them.

 

People suffering from stress, fear, or panic can be vulnerable to demonic possession which is how I encountered demonic possession first hand; when my parents died, I was in a bad place emotionally as I had never really hunted alone without someone to back me up if I really needed so with the combination of stress, fear, AND panic, I was possessed by a demon which is why I insist on anyone getting an anti-possession tattoo.  Due to being a hunter, the demon decided to torture me further by keeping me awake throughout my possession; she killed some of the victims I had saved prior to possession, torturing them before stabbing them through the heart, making my body do horrific things to them.  I still have nightmares about it but luckily, Bobby, a veteran hunter my parents knew, was able to work out why I had gone incommunicado for weeks and exorcised the demon.  Because of what the demon did, I became a wanted criminal as it was my face that the victims and witnesses saw, not the demon possessing me so I now have to stay in small towns, so that no one will work out who I really am.  One trick I learnt from my possession was that demons abhor the name of God in Latin - _Dio_ or _Deus_.  I have a couple of copies of exorcisms that Bobby gave me so I will leave them in this box for you too.

 

On top of basic demonic powers, some demons gain more powers as they gain more authority in Hell: biokinesis - being able to manipulate the biology of other beings, electrokinesis - manipulating electronic equipment, invisiblity, pyrokinesis, telepathy, soul reading, spell casting, terrakinesis, voice mimicry, thermokinesis, healing, regeneration, and weather manipulation.  These tend to be for mid-tier and higher demons that have these powers, making them harder to defeat ultimately unless you have the appropriate weapon.  More powerful demons have more powers but they seem to be specific to each demon or a certain type of demon so I'll talk about them as I go along.

 

Black-eyes demons are the common class of demon hunters come across.  They tend to vary from low-level to mid-level on the demon hierarchy so considered the easier of demons to defeat.  They are affected by the standard demon weaknesses, holy water, salt, iron, devil's traps etc. so learn the basic defences and memorise them then you should be set when hunting demons.  Although Knights of Hell fall under the description of a black-eyed demon, they are in fact much stronger and near unbeatable without the Mark of Cain and the First Blade so don't go up against them unless prepared. Get people away from them as fast as possible and run for the hills; I don't recommend this often but having met and gone up against a Knight of Hell, I am lucky to be alive.

 

Red eyed demons are more powerful than black eyed demons with powers such as teleporting and deal making in their repertoire. Every single Red eyed demon i have faced has been stationed as a crossroad demon due to their ability to teleport as they are able to teleport to the crossroads without being forcefully summoned. As a crossroad demon, they can make deals with humans, granting them one wish in exchange for their soul. Normally the demon will give the deal maker ten years before they collect their soul, upon which time, a Hellhound will be sent after them to drag then to Hell. To make a demon deal, one needs to summon the demon to crossroads (normally) and then, once the bargain is struck, the deal maker has to kiss the demon to seal the deal. As it tends to be men who strike a demon deal, wanting fame or glory etc., crossroad demons tend to possess a female vessel to also attract others to make deals.

 

Considered one of the more powerful demons, probably just a little less powerful than Lucifer, a fallen archangel, himself, white-eyed demons are considered generals in the hierarchy of Hell. Terrified by all other demons below them, the mere mention of any of their names strikes fear in the hearts of demons. It has been noted that they are powerful enough to hold their own against regular angels and are able to resist most demonic weaknesses though they can still be hurt by them and killed. The only white eyed demons i know of are Lilith - the first demon - and Alastair - Hell's main torturer.

 

Though there has only ever been one demon of this kind that hunters have encountered, yellow-eyed demons exist as well.  Azazel is an agent of Lucifer, working to get him out of Hell; it is unlikely for any Wessons and their family will come up against him but someone should know about him.  He can manipulate fire and control dreams as well as more advanced telekinesis as he can throw people clear across a room and even through walls if he tried.

 

As I've said, Knights of Hell are extremely powerful black-eyed demons, said to be some of the first demons; chosen by Lucifer himself and turned and trained by Cain.  More powerful than a group of demons when they are by themselves, Knights of Hell are nearly invulnerable, being immune to many defences against demons, including exorcisms and the demon-killing knife.  The only weapon that can kill a Knight of Hell is the First Blade, Cain's blade that he killed Abel with.  As I've said before, run from a Knight of Hell, don't try and fight them.  It is impossible and they are savage in the way they kill.

 

Demon/human hybrids, cambions, are created when a demon reproduces with a female human virgin, by using said human as a vessel.  Their powers far exceed most demons and grow to greater levels when Lucifer is free of his cage.  They are able to teleport, advanced reality warping through thoughts, and conjure anything they want.

 

Sometimes, demons use other demons to attack targets; two notable demons are daeva and hellhounds.  Daeva are Zoroastrain shadow demons which don't need a host to attack their targets but are difficult to control and are just as likely to turn on the demon controlling them.  Hellhounds are demonic canines that drag souls to Hell upon their deal expiring, able to locate any human or demon they are sent after; as they are close to their prey, hellhounds cause their victims to hallucinate, frightening them out of hiding and leave them defenceless. 

 

Demons are difficult to stop but are easier to harm, mislead, and/or trap.  A Devil's Trap will hold a demon in place and stop it from escaping and binding them, no matter how powerful they are.  Trapping a demon in the trap allows hunters to exorcise the demon from their vessel, hopefully saving the victim.  While within the traps, demons normally can't use their powers though some can if they know spells, allowing them to break the integrity of the trap and get free.  A Devil's Trap can be carved into a bullet as well, trapping the demon in their vessel and limiting their movements.

 

Other demonic weaknesses are salt, as they are unable to cross a line of salt - like a ghost, and iron as it burns them but are able to overcome it so it's not a 100% reliable.  Holy water burns demons upon contact, like acid, and has proven effective against them.  Stronger demons are resistant to it and only effects them for a brief moment and barely slows them down.  Placing holy water in a drink is a common hunter technique in testing if someone is possessed; if they gasp and burn, they are possessed as it is just water and won't affect humans.

 

Those are just weaknesses, if you want to stop a demon is exorcism, physical damage to their vessel, the demon-killing knife, burning their bones, and curing them.

 

Exorcising them will pull the demon out of its host and send it to Hell; this is one way to try and save the vessel but sometimes they don't if the vessel has been hurt too much and the only thing keeping them alive is the demon inside, healing them.

 

Lower-level demons will immediately escape their vessel if they have accumulated too much damaged in search of a new vessel; only mid-level demons and higher can heal their vessels.

 

The demon-killing knife I have left for you is one guaranteed way to kill a demon but it also kills the vessel if dealt a fatal blow; some demons are resistant to the knife though, such as white-eyed demons and Knights of Hell though it can still hurt them and is painful.

 

Burning the bones of the original demon's body kills the demon like a vengeful spirit; this can also be a way to torture a demon.

 

Demons can become human again through a cure discovered by a priest.  If in a sacred ground, a human injects his own "pure" blood in a demon every hour for eight hours.  On the eighth time, the blood must be fresh and the donor must say before the exorcism: " Exorcizamus te, omnis immundus spiritus, hanc animam redintegra, lustra, lustra".  Alternatively, purified blood, AKA blood blessed by a priest, need only be injected which will cure the demon.

 

In the box, I have left you two hex bags which can be used to hide people from demons as well as other creatures, such as angels and witches. 


	35. Monsters: Angels

Angels are fairly new to me as well as other hunters and were certainly a surprise when they started showing up.  They're not the kind of creature you purposely hunt as they don't tend to do anything warranting hunting so we keep out of their way if they keep out of ours.

 

Angels are God's warriors, protecting mankind, and are considered one of the most powerful entities known as they are imbued with holy white light as well as considerable amount of power.  Unfortunately, humans are unable to see or hear angels in their true form to communicate with us; they have to use a vessel, a human who has given their express permission to use their body for a time being unlike demons who can force themselves in.  Also unlike demons, angels can possess your body when you have an anti-possession tattoo so you can be tricked, somehow, into allowing an angel to possess you.  It's unfortunate and rare but it has been known to happen to save lives.

 

The only simple way I know how to stop an angel is to use an angel blade or an archangel blade, weapons only the respective angels originally carried so it's easy to guess that they are not easy to come by unless you overpower an extremely powerful being, something tremendously difficult to do.  I've only had an angel blade that I have been given by an angel as other angels were trying to kick-start the apocalypse and I needed to defend myself.

 

They do, however, have weaknesses.  One, for example, is a circle holy fire which is holy oil set on fire - touching the flame will kill normal angels and their vessels if they touch it; if the circle is disturbed by some sort of bridge, an angel can cross it unharmed.  Much like demons, hex bags can prevent angels from detecting and finding someone - though not archangels due to how powerful they are, so I recommend keeping one on you at all times.  Enochian sigils placed on human ribs can prevent any angel from finding them or even detecting them; these sigils can also prevent angels from entering a building if they are painted on the building's walls.  Angels feel the compulsion to head towards the Horn of Gabriel sigil if it is written, drawing any angel who is around to the caster, leaving them vulnerable as it is an uncontrollable urge.

 

 

One major way to weaken an angel is by removing their grace through a slit to the throat and drawing out their grace as it renders them human thus mortal which means you can kill just as you would a human.

 

It is possible to banish an angel through vessel expulsion, where the vessel rejects the angel, or a blood seal, where a person places their hand upon the blood seal shown below which banishes away all angels in the immediate area.  An angel can activate this seal and won't be banished along with the other angels.

 

 

Fortunately angels have not tried to interfere with humanity for eons so until the 21st century, I think you'll be okay, it's just good for you to have this knowledge just in case.

 

The four eldest and most powerful of God's angels are the archangels; Michael, Lucifer, Raphael, and Gabriel, in that order.  They are far more powerful than any other angel and imbued with near unimaginable and immeasurable power and authority thus making them the strongest beings God created.  Other than Metatron, they are the only known angels to have met God personally.  Before creation, together with God, the archangels took part in a terrible war with something called the Darkness resulting in the Darkness being locked away by a powerful curse, the Mark of Cain.  Lucifer originally had this mark before Cain and is believed to be the reason why Lucifer acted the way he did.  As they are imbued with celestial power direct from God, when they fall, they don't lose their powers hence why Lucifer is so strong.  The only way I can describe an archangel's powers is to tell you to think of absolutely anything and they can probably do it given that they can manipulate reality to their whim and are the closest thing to God in terms of power.

 

Pretty much gone now, the Grigori were a squad of elite angels who were sent to protect humanity and watch over them but turned bad.  Believed to be wiped, a few survived and started preying on humanity, kidnapping humans and trapping them in dream states of their perfect Heaven so to feed off of their souls, similar to djinn.  Instead of carrying angels blades, Grigori carry angel swords with each of their names written on them; this doesn't make them any stronger, it's just their choice of weapon.  They are just as vulnerable as other angels; they're just a select part of the garrison who went rogue.

 

Below archangels are the seraphim, immensely powerful angels that can overpower high-level demons and able to smite most kinds of monsters.  Other powers they possess are memory manipulation and advanced biokinesis, allowing them to alter one's biology.  Due to their rank, they act as liaisons between archangels and regular angels, almost like sergeants within the garrison.

 

There are obviously the normal, common angels that make up the majority of the Heaven's garrisons, reporting to the seraphim and archangels.  Though not as powerful as seraphim, normal angels still possess formidable powers such as telekinesis, smiting, above-demon strength, and teleportation; angels can even manipulate time, allowing them, and those they choose to take, to travel through time.  While none of them have said to have met God, they still seem to have faith and obey his, and his archangels', orders.

 

Reapers are angels that serve Death, assisting in maintaining the "Natural Order".  Reapers will sometimes gather in mass in prelude to a great disaster.  Reapers have to be impartial to the world, not caring for deals or fate as they have to ensure the world keeps working.  Reapers can be bound and controlled unfortunately but this requires dark magic to do this; however, once released, reapers will turn on their master as they have gone against the natural order.

 

Cherubim, also known as Cupids, are placed at the bottom of Heaven's hierarchy; they follow Heaven's orders and manipulate the affection of humans, especially certain bloodlines so to ensure certain people are born.  They are overly affectionate and will hug someone as it is said to be their version of a handshake.

 

If an angel falls, either expelled or voluntarily, depending on their rank, may or may not retain their powers; for example, a seraph or higher will retain their powers while normal angels become just like humans.  When an angel falls from being expelled, their wings become burnt which humans can only see when an angel projects the shadowy forms onto surfaces while those that fall voluntarily retain their wings if they are strong enough.

 

Standard angel powers are Holy White Light, a blast of light that can incinerate targets, dream walking, allowing them to communicate with people in their dreams especially if they can't find them because of enochian sigils, electronic manipulation, localisation on any human who isn't protected, reality warping which varies on how strong they are, regeneration, immortality, invulnerability, sedation as they are able to knock a human out with a simple touch which has happened a couple of time to me, and telepathy.  Depending on their connection to Heaven, angels are able to heal wounds etc. and resurrect the dead though they must know where all pieces of the body are.

 

When an angel is killed, a pair of wings which reflect the angel's own are burnt into the area surrounding them.  Angels can't resurrect one another but God can bring them back if he so desires.

 

Angels are thought to be emotionless as they are not permitted to have feelings or free will but I have seen many things that contradict it as many angels I have met have shown loyalty to me as we fight to ensure that the apocalypse doesn't happen.  I think angels are capable of human emotions and flaws of character, they just find it easier to not display them as it considered doorways to doubt and that it is a weakness.

 

Angels consider themselves family to one another, calling each other brothers and sisters and refer to God as their father.


	36. Monsters: Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse

This is one of the more unusual notes I'm making as I really don't expect any Wesson to come across them but once again, the information can be useful and you can become a fountain of hunter knowledge that other hunters can use.  The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are the personified concepts of Death, Famine, Pestilence, and War that are said to bring the end of the world.  Each use a special ring that channels their core ability, without which, their physical forms lose most, if not all of their powers; it is useful for you and any other hunter to know that the Four Horsemen's rings are the keys to Lucifer's cage, meaning they hold the power to lock him away if he does get out.  Holding no allegiances to Heaven or Hell, the Horsemen seemed to allied with one another and their jobs. 

 

Each of the Horsemen came into existence when death, confrontation, hunger, and sickness entered the universe and Creation itself.  Death probably came into existence when God created the first form of life or when God himself came into being as there can't be life without death.  They cannot be killed unless somehow their attributes cease to exist; however, they are vulnerable similarly to humans as they can have their fingers cut off and separation from their rings leaves them powerless.

 

War's ring is gold and appears to be a wedding ring and is the only one without a stone, appearing just as a simple band.  War is able to create illusions and hallucinations which drive people to violence and is capable of reading the thoughts of other beings.  War is incredibly strong but tends to not use it as he knows that he can't be killed, so puts up no resistance when attacked.  War has been noted to hate acting directly as he sees the best way to cause chaos is to induce panic and let humans take care of the rest.

 

Famine's ring is silver with a black stone.  Famine is able to forcibly remove a demon from its vessel which he then can devour as he craves sustenance constantly because he is the embodiment of hunger.  When other beings are close, Famine is able to enhance their sense of hunger, causing them to seek whatever it is they are craving the most until it results in their destruction.  Like his brother, Famine can read thoughts and enter someone's subconscious.

 

Pestilence's ring is gold with a pale green stone.  Pestilence is able to crate, manipulate, and control diseases with a mere thought.  He can also cause illness instantly in another being.

 

Death's ring is silver with a white stone.  Death is the eldest of the Horsemen and is very detached from the rest of the world, seeing humanity and its struggle as little more than bacteria along in comparison to the grand scheme of the universe.  Death can kill anything or bring it back to life if he so chooses.  With nigh-omniscience and nigh-omnipotence, Death exceeds that of the archangels' power and is almost as powerful as God, making him an imposing figure.

 

As concepts in physical form, the Horsemen are immortal and pretty much indestructible; though it is possible to stop them.  The Horsemen can be bound and controlled though it is not sure how much control one can have over them.

 

It has been noted that the title of any of the Horsemen can be claimed by anyone that wears their respective rings, becoming gods over the respective attribute.


	37. Monsters: Leviathans

Before humans and even angels, God created Leviathans, his very first beasts.  God found the creatures to be too hungry and destructive so He created Purgatory and locked them inside.  They are clever and poisonous with an insatiable hunger and complete disregard for any other creature in this world, especially humans, regarding them as little more than cattle.

 

It is sad to say that in my lifetime, leviathans were released and attempted to conquer the Earth, trying to make themselves the dominant species and nearly succeeding by harvesting the human race as their main food source.  They invaded society, placing their leaders in high powered positions in business; however, they do have some respect for certain individuals they find exceptional as they are unable to copy that certain "spark" that makes them special.

 

Leviathans have powerful jaws which can rip anything apart with one bite and invulnerable to everything but the Bone of a Righteous Mortal Washed in the Three Bloods of Fallen.  However, they are vulnerable to sodium borate like demons are to holy water, weakening them temporarily though they will recover in a matter of seconds (or longer depending on the extent of the damage).  Leviathans don't have a form on Earth and have to possess humans; they take over the host's body and mind by touch.  Unlike demons, the possession alters the host biologically and appears permanent.  Through physical contact, leviathans can shapeshift instantly into another's form and also absorb their memories.  They are incredibly strong and can overpower angels with ease and are incredibly fast as well; it is unknown if they can harm archangels as it hasn't been documented if they have come into contact.  On top of being strong, they are intelligent and can adapt easily to modern society while others can find it a struggle. 

 

Being older than angels, leviathans are able to block an angel's powers through their physical presence; however, it does seem they have to this consciously.

 

Leviathans have a rigid hierarchy and have over reliance on just one leader so it is assumed that one can stop them by killing the leader which is easier said than done.

 

This information is useless really for you dear recipient but it is useful for you to know just in case you end up in Purgatory or future hunters end up meeting leviathans; anything is possible in the weird world we inhabit as hunters.


	38. Monsters: Eve

While not in this generation, within my generation of hunters, a group of dragons were able to release Eve, the mother of all monsters into our world where she proceeded to make new and more disturbing monsters.  I only mention this so that future generations can be prepared for an onslaught of wacky creatures that are difficult to kill.  It did force each and every hunter I know to test their knowledge, which isn't something you want in the middle of an already difficult war against monsters you already know how to stop; we all had to step back and think rationally before we attacked and tested methods we already know work on older monsters to kill new ones.  This taught me that I should remember my training and keep a cool head and make sure I am prepared for any kind of threat with a knife and gun along with some silver.

 

Eve passed on various abilities onto her varied offspring, making them all different but similar as well; on top of every ability any monster has, Eve is psychically connected to her offspring and is able to see through their eyes at any given moment which can be used to keep track of people and with this link, Eve is able to control her offspring, even over great distances.  As well a connection to her offspring, she has some form of telepathy with humans, allowing her to see weaknesses of character and use them against us.  While this may not help, at least anyone that reads this will be aware and I feel better knowing I have shared my knowledge with anyone that will stop for a moment.

 

If the Winchesters ever get a hold of this book, the only way to stop Eve is to use Phoenix ash, either through ingestion, shot with it, or injected with it; however, Phoenix ash is hard to come by in the first place so be smart about it and knowing you two, you say something to piss her off.

 

Eve is able to turn anyone into any monster she wants, given who she is, through a single bite, much like some of her offspring so maybe this can be used to your advantage, boys.


	39. End

This is all I can think of that I need to pass on for any potential hunter and I hope it helps.  If this does somehow end up in the hands of another hunter in the future, I hope it's Bobby Singer; he was the man who taught me as much as he could after vampires killed my parents and I want him to see that all his lessons stuck even if I get hurt from time to time.  Seems like bullheadedness is a Hunter trait.

 

Good luck with everything Wesson ancestors.  I hope this book and the box help.  Chronicle as much as you can in this book or another journal as it'll help you keep track of your own hunts and help others if they ever need a guide.

 

Once you've got the hang of being a hunter, you will eventually learn who you should hunt and who not to as not all monsters/demons/witches etc. are necessarily bad.  It all depends on their self-control as I've met many creatures who are no threat to anyone than anyone else, some I have already mentioned, I've even met humans who are worse than most creatures, even demons.  So far, I haven't had to fulfil my promise to kill any of them and I'm hoping I don't have to.  It tends to be pretty obvious if they're "good", with some self-control and who doesn't but keep vigilant.

 

Rebecca W.


End file.
